Right Beside You
by taeilssilverware
Summary: Thrown into the midst of gang life in downtown Seoul, South Korea, the reader must learn to trust one of the biggest crime lords the city has to offer, in exchange for protection from another. When one of the gang members catches her eye, she'll have to fight for his love- and her life. *BTS Gang AU fic* Taehyung x Reader/V x Reader
1. Chapter 1

Shocking pain ran up your legs as your feet slapped the hard pavement. You were running from whoever was chasing you. Your lungs burned as their search for air proved fruitless. Who were those people? What did they want with you? Why were they following you? You didn't stop to think as you heard a car engine rev behind you. You shot up the hill in the small park you had ran to and prayed that there would be someone there. Someone that could help.

You weren't sure which was first, the sound of a gunshot or the biting pain in your lower back. But the smell of grass and flowers told you that you had fallen, and the sound of screeching tires told you that the car had finally left. The world around you was black. The only sense that you could still make out was your hearing, though the sounds around you were fuzzy.

"A girl?"

"But that was one of Savoy's!"

"Did they kill her?"

"I think she's breathing. Kook, call Namjoon. Suga, get the car."

"He's gonna kill us and her if we take her to base."

"Savoy's men just tried to kill her. I think it will be fine."

And that was all you heard before you drifted into unconsciousness.

* * *

Your eyes snapped open. A bright light flooded your vision and you groaned loudly. "Great, I'm dead."

"Not dead." A voice called from somewhere around you. You tried to sit up, but a hand pushed you back down. "I'm not done stitching you, yet. Just lay there."

"Stitching me?" You remembered the gunshot and the pain in your back. "But I don't feel-"

"I'd be surprised if you did." The voice chuckled sweetly. "Your side is so pumped full of lidocaine right now, you shouldn't feel anything for about two hours."

The light above you snapped off and you saw a very handsome man with blonde hair pulling off a pair of bloody gloves. "Okay, Princess," He began, taking hold of either of your shoulders. "Move slowly. I don't want the stitches to rip." The man helped you sit up and you looked around at all the faces in the room. You had never seen any of these people before. Where were you? It certainly didn't look like a doctors office or a hospital. It was then that you remembered the voices you had heard.

"Well, it looks like you'll be okay after all. See Tae? No harm done." The apparent leader of the group stood and clapped another of the men on the back. "Pretty thing though. I wonder why Savoy wants you dead."

"U-um…" You stared up at the tall man before you. "Who- who is Savoy?"

He only chuckled before turning for the door. "Hobi, you take this one."

Another of the guys in the room stood from his seat, a bright, cheery smile on his face. "Don't mind Joonie." He helped you to your feet and supported you as he walked you slowly out of the room, the mass of other boys following behind you.

He led you to what seemed to be a kitchen area and helped you to sit down on a chair. "Can I get you anything? Some water?" The doctor smiled at you as he reached for a glass and you only nodded.

"Okay! First thing's first," The smiling man grinned at you as he sat on the other side of the table. "I'm J-Hope. Your savior over there is Jin. He's our doctor. The grumpy one is Suga," He pointed at a silver-haired guy in the corner who rolled his eyes. "That's Kook," The youngest of the boys waved with a large grin. "Jimin is over there by Jin, and this is V. He's one of the ones that found you."

You glanced to the nervous boy in the doorway who rubbed the back of his neck and looked at his feet. "So, why am I here?" You questioned, finally turning your attention back to J-Hope. "Who is Savoy and why does he want me dead?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out." The silver-haired boy, Suga, took a seat next to you. "He's one of the biggest gang bosses in Seoul. So why is he after you?"

Your eyes widened. Gangs? Is that what these boys were? A gang? Your heart began to beat altogether too fast. You stood quickly and looked around as everyone eyed your stomach with worried expressions. You looked down at the bright red stain spreading through the side of your shirt and the crimson pool on the floor by your feet before your vision began to blur.

You fell back into the chair and you heard a sigh from behind you. "I told you to be careful, didn't I?" Jin knelt next to you and lifted your shirt with a nod. "Jiminie, can you carry her? I have to redo her stitches now."

You squeezed your eyes shut tight to keep the world from spinning around you, no doubt from blood loss. You felt a pair of strong arms around you, but didn't dare to look as you were carried back into the small room you had just come from moments ago. You felt the cold metal of the table underneath you and heard the click of the overhead light before you dared to open your eyes again. Small rainbows played in the light above as you watched.

"Jin, she's okay right?" You recognized the soft voice from when you had gotten shot, although then it was much stronger as it commanded the others. You turned your head to the left to see who the owner was, but your vision, blurry from blood loss, didn't reach the boy.

"She's fine. But no more walking around. Bed rest only. Ask Namjoon if we-"

"She can stay in my room." The same soft voice. You squinted, but still saw nothing. "I'll room with one of you, she can have my bed."

"Fine, that'll work I guess." The light clicked back off and you looked at Jin who gave you an annoyed look. "I mean it this time. Don't rip them." You gave him a sad look with a nod and he sighed, waving his hand. "Jimin, put her in bed."

One of the figures in the doorway made its way to you and before you knew it you were in the air and being carried through the long halls of the building. The boy carrying you nudged the door open with his foot and sat you down on a soft bed. You looked around the room, which was pretty messy. Clothes were thrown everywhere and seemed to leak out of a tall, metal dresser in the corner. The concrete walls were bare, cold, almost lonely and let in no sunlight at all. You sighed through your nose and laid back on the bed. At least you weren't in any immediate danger, right?

"Sorry! Sorry!" You saw a figure rush in through the dark and start picking up the clothes, throwing them into a nearby closet. "It's a mess in here, I know. I didn't expect company." He chuckled nervously as he continued to 'clean' the room around you. You smiled weakly as you watched him through hooded eyelids.

When had you become so tired? You yawned and rested your arm over your eyes, peeking out at the boy frantically cleaning every so often. When he was done he stood with his hands on his hips and a small smile on his face. "That should do it." His grin broadened, causing you to smile in return. You could see him clearly now. His soft voice caressed your ears as he knelt on the bed to lay the blanket gently over you. "I'll be right next door if you need anything."

You nodded sleepily with a smile. "Thank you… I'm sorry, What did J-hope say your name was again?"

"That's fine. It happens. I'm-"


	2. Chapter 2

You nodded sleepily with a smile. "Thank you… I'm sorry, What did J-hope say your name was again?"

"That's fine. It happens. I'm-

V. But you can call me Taehyung." The boy before you flashed you a box-like smile as he rubbed the back of his neck.

You couldn't help but to smile back at him. He seemed to be all nerves. You wondered to yourself how long he had been in the gang scene. It couldn't have been very long. He seemed so safe, quiet, kind. He was obviously very anxious about everything that was happening. "I-I'm, (y/n). I have you to thank for my still being alive right now, right?"

Taehyung chuckled. "I don't know about that. Jin's the one that patched you up."

"But you brought me here. If you hadn't found me in that park…" You thought back on the recent events and cleared your throat.

As if sensing your discomfort, he sat on the edge of the bed. "We'll find Savoy's gang. We'll figure out what's going on and why he's doing this to you." You nodded, playing with your hands in your lap. "Anyway, you should rest. I'll be by to check on you before bed."

"Thank you, Taehyung." You gave the boy a soft smile before laying back on the large bed. As you did, a sharp pain ran through your side, causing you to hiss through your teeth. The boy immediately reached to pull the blanket down and check your side, but you chuckled. "I think the Lidocaine is wearing off. Does getting shot always hurt this much?"

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "You have no clue. It gets worse." He must have seen the fear in your eyes because within a moment, Taehyung was stuttering and shaking his head. "I-I didn't mean-"

"It's fine. It could be worse. I could be dead, right?" You snuggled into the warm bed with a sigh. Your exhaustion began to tug at your consciousness and before you knew it, you had drifted off to sleep.

You woke up a few hours later, your side feeling as though it was literally on fire. You let a pained shriek and rolled onto your opposite side. Within a matter of seconds, the door to the room was thrown open and Jimin and Taehyung knelt next to you. "(y/n) what happened? Why did you scream? What is it?"

"You…" You breathed shakily through your tears and tried not to grip your pained side. "You weren't kidding. It does get worse."

Jimin pushed a hand through his disheveled hair. "I'll get Jin." With that, he stood and left you with a nervous-looking Taehyung.

"Tae-"

"Shh." He shushed you with a terrified smile. "Jin will have something for the pain. You'll be okay." He took your hand which you squeezed hard enough to cause him pain.

In another moment, the door was opened again and Jin was there with a black bag. "Relax, Princess. It could be a whole lot worse." He reached in his bag and pulled out a sterile needle and a small vial of liquid.

You wiped at the sweat on your forehead and groaned at him. "Please tell me that's more Lidocaine."

He shook his head as he tapped the air bubbles out of the syringe. "I need that. This is easier to come by. Morphine." You continued to squeeze Taehyung's hand as the needle pierced your skin. Afterward, Jin wiped the whole area down with a piece of gauze dowsed in alcohol and packed everything back in his black bag. "Now, if you're done whining, I'm going back to bed."

You watched as he stood and left, only turning back when you heard Taehyung clear his throat. "Jin's actually pretty nice. He just doesn't like to be interrupted when he sleeping. Or eating." He shook his hand you had been squeezing and chuckled softly. "You have one hell of a grip."

"Yeah," You looked to the floor, embarrassed. You slowly sat up, wincing in pain. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He flashed you that box-like smile again and you thought to yourself how handsome he was. "Don't move too fast, okay? Let me check your stitches." He lifted your shirt quickly, a bit too high for your liking. You smacked his hand away and he looked down, his face flushed. "I am so sorry."

"It's fine, Tae."

"No really, I didn't mean- I'm so-"

"Taehyung." You gave him a soft smile, but he continued to avert his eyes. "It's alright. Can you… Check the back?"

He nodded slowly, Lifting the back of your shirt up, this time not nearly as high. "Looks okay to me…" He mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I should go back to Jimin's-"

"Don't go." Your plead was sudden and you even caught yourself off guard. "What I mean is… I don't really want to be alone." You watched as Taehyung fidgeted with his hands and stared at the door. "You don't have to stay, I would just… Be able to sleep better I think… Even if you just stay til I fall asleep."

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly and he nodded, sitting next to you on the large bed. Laying back down with a sigh, you rested your head in his lap. He held his hands up, unsure for a moment, before resting one on your back and running the other through your hair. "Thank you, Tae." You rested your hand on his knee and it wasn't very long before you drifted back to sleep.

You woke up to the sound of laughter and soft snoring. Above you, you saw Taehyung, fast asleep. His head rested against the wall and his hand was tangled in your hair. To your left the young boy, Kook stood in the doorway snickering. "Tell your boyfriend Jin made breakfast." was all he said before turning around and laughing on his way out of the room.

You propped yourself up on your elbow and freed your hair from Taehyung's fist before lightly shaking him awake. "Tae… Tae wake up."

"Hmm?" He blinked his eyes opened and smiled at you before looking around. His eyes widened at his surroundings and he stood quickly. "(y/n) I'm so sorry! I must have fallen asleep last night I didn't mean to…"

You giggled as he stretched his no-doubt stiff back. "It's fine, Taehyung. Kook said Jin made breakfast."

"Oh, no." He groaned, covering his face with his hands. "Jungkook saw? Oh, I'm not living this down." He sighed and yanked the covers off of you to help you stand. "Might as well go eat."

You accepted his help in standing and walking to the kitchen. He made sure to walk as slow as possible so as not to cause you any more pain than you were already in. When at last you made your way to the kitchen, he helped you to sit down in a chair and went to fetch food for the both of you. Luckily for him, the only other people left in the kitchen were Jimin and Suga. The silver-haired boy eyed the both of you and Jimin sat trying not to laugh.

"So…" Jimin swallowed a bite of his food and eyed Taehyung with an amused expression. "I thought you were gonna stay in my room last night, Tae. Where did you go?"

Suga stifled a laugh and watched the younger boy. "Shut up, Chim." He said with a large, gummy smile. "Leave the happy couple alone."

Taehyung groaned and sat a plate of food in front of you. "I fell asleep, guys. That's it. I wasn't even laying down."

"Doesn't mean you weren't cuddling your girlfriend." Jimin grinned. "Kook told us everything."

This time it was you that stifled a laugh. You'd hate to make Taehyung feel bad, but this was just your humor and there was no way you were missing out on this prime opportunity. "Babe!" You whined, watching Tae's eyes widen in surprise. "I'm thirsty!" The other two boys broke out into laughter and you giggled quietly to yourself. Taehyung narrowed his eyes at you and stood to get you a drink.

When the others finally left, you looked at Taehyung who was turned away from you eating silently.

"Tae, come on. It was a joke." You pleaded, your mouth turning down into a pout. He shrugged, still not looking at you. "Taehyung…" You nudged his shoulder. Still nothing. You thought for a moment before making a pained hissing noise.

Taehyung turned quickly and gave you a panicked look. "Is it your side? Does it hurt? Should I get Jin?"

"No." You gave him a big grin and put your hand on him. "You should tell me what I can do to make you feel better. I was only joking."

He sighed through his nose and glared at the floor. "I have to live with these guy, you know. I can't look weak."

You giggled. "Weak? They know it was a joke, Tae. Besides even if you did have a girlfriend, why would that make you weak?"

He shrugged and picked up both of your plates, taking them to the sink. "I guess it's not so much looking weak myself, but having a weak spot. If I had a girlfriend, people could get to me through her. And it's not just me." He motioned toward the door as he made his was back over to you. "That's just how life is here." Taehyung pulled his phone out of his pocket as it began to buzz and pressed a button before holding it to his ear. "Yeah, Boss? … Yeah, Boss. … N-no, Boss. … She was joking, Boss. … Yes, Boss." He slipped the phone back into his pocket with a sigh and moved to help you stand. "Namjoon wants you in his office."

Leaning on Taehyung, you stood steadily, hissing in pain. "It's not about what I said, right?"

He shook his head as he supported you, walking you through the hall. "This is about Savoy."


	3. Chapter 3

You bit your lip, glancing up at the man behind the large, mahogany desk. "Suga, what did you find out?" Namjoon eyed you carefully before turning his gaze to his friend who stood from his place next to you.

"Savoy is convinced (y/n) is a girl named Lee Gaeul. Lee Gaeul is the best con artist in downtown Seoul. Word on the street is she stole thousands from Savoy and took off the minute he became suspicious." He paced in front of Namjoon's desk, staring down at the paperwork in his hands.

"But why would he think I'm her?" You cleared your throat and suddenly all eyes were on you.

"This is why." Suga handed you one of the papers which just so happened to be a photo of a woman that looked just like you. You would have thought it was you if you hadn't noticed a rather large birthmark on the woman's shoulder and several tattoos along the woman's upper back.

"(y/n), take off your shirt." Namjoon leaned forward and rested his chin in his hand, watching your large, terrified eyes. "Relax," He chuckled. "No one's going to touch you, we just need to make sure you're not her. I can have Yoongi take it off for you, if you want." Suga rolled his eyes and plopped back down in his seat.

"W-what about Jin? He's a doctor, right? I'd prefer if only he saw."You tugged the hem of your shirt down further for protection as you eyed the ground.

Namjoon just laughed. "If that's what you want, but I'm warning you now. He can be pretty handsy."

Your eyes shot to Jin who winked with a small wave and you groaned loudly. "What about Taehyung then?"

But Namjoon shook his head. "Pick someone else. He's too close to this. I wouldn't put it above him to lie for you."

You sighed and looked at the door. "Just have everyone leave. I'll show you." He raised his eyebrows in surprise and nodded, waving a hand toward the door. Taehyung gave you a final look before standing and following everyone out, closing it behind him. Namjoon stood to make his way over to you and you sighed before lifting the fabric over your head. "See? No birthmark, no tattoos."

He walked around the back of you and nodded. "Just a ripped stitch. Jin won't be happy about that, but at least we don't have to worry about you stealing from us." You quickly pulled the fabric back down over your head as Namjoon called to whoever was behind the door. Taehyung rushed in but stopped as he reached you with a terrified expression. Namjoon nodded once to him. "Your girlfriend ripped a stitch again. Take her to Jin."

Taehyung breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as he helped you stand. "You really have to be more careful with that." You chuckled lightly and winced in pain as you fell back into your seat. "Sorry! I'm sorry!" Taehyung's hands shot to the sticky red fabric at your side. "Okay here, uh… I'll… I'll carry you!" He placed his forearm under your knees and his other around your back and lifted you slowly.

Namjoon laughed in amusement and shook his head. "Vinegar and lemon." Tae gave him a side glace as you clung to him. He wasn't nearly as strong as Jimin and you wanted to make sure you didn't fall. "For that bloodstain on your white shirt."

He looked down at his shirt and sighed. The white shirt he was wearing was indeed being dyed red by the blood that seeped out of your side. "I'm sorry…" Your words were more of a whisper than anything, but he shook his head with a smile and turned for the door. He marched you across the hall and laid you on a familiar metal table before taking off his bloody shirt and tossing it to the side. Your breath caught in your throat as your eyes trailed over his chest and down to his stomach. There was a sticky red splotch which he quickly wiped at with a towel. "I'm sorry." You whispered again but he shrugged.

"It happens. I'll go get Jin." He grinned as he walked into the hall and headed toward the kitchen.

"Again?!" You heard Jin's voice boom from the kitchen and thunderous footsteps as he stormed into the room. "How many times do I have to tell you?" You winced at his angry shouting and mumbled an apology, but he just cut you off. "I should just let you bleed. Is that what you want?" You shook your head and looked down, but he lifted your chin with his hand to look him in the eye. "Fine. You want to rip your stitches, you won't even have stitches. Taehyung, go grab me a blowtorch and a frosting knife."

Your eyes widened in terror as you looked to Tae who obliged with his eyebrows knitted together in worry. "W-what are you going to do?"

"Stitches just don't seem to be working for you, so I'm burning it closed. Bite this." He placed a piece of black rubber near your mouth and you quickly obliged. "This is going to hurt. A lot more than last night. I'm not going to sugar coat it." Taehyung re-entered the room and handed Jin the blowtorch, holding up the frosting knife away from his body.

"Dish habben awot I taeg ih?" You managed through the rubber in your mouth.

Jin just chuckled. "Hobi rips his stitches a lot, too."

You watched the near-blinding light of the blowtorch and the red hot metal which Tae quickly handed to Jin. He sat it down on a tray and handed Taehyung the blowtorch before grabbing a small pair of scissors to cut the rest of your stitches and remove them. You winced in pain and Taehyung rushed to your side to grab your hand. "Knife." Jin held his hand out and Tae handed him the red metal on the table. The first thing that hit you was the smell. It smelled like charred beef that had been left on the grill for far too long. Then came the pain. You bit down on the rubber piece in your mouth as a scream was ripped from your throat. Tears blurred your vision but you managed to make out three figures rushing into the room just before you lost consciousness altogether.

You blinked your eyes open several hours later and saw that you were back in Taehyung's bedroom. He sat at the desk against the far wall and you cleared your throat. "Tae…" Your voice was small and weak, but he heard you. His head whipped around and he stood quickly, knocking the chair over in the process. He rushed to your side and cupped your cheek with his hand.

"What's wrong? Are you in pain? Should a get Jin?" You shook your head and smiled, leaning into his touch. "Do you need anything?"

"Water." Your voice was hoarse no-doubt from the screaming and it hurt even to talk. He nodded and stood, hurrying from the room. Not a moment later, you looked up to someone standing in the doorway. "J-Hope?"

You heard a laugh as he stepped further into the room. "It gets easier, trust me. I passed out the first time he cauterized me, too." You smiled at him and he sat on the edge of the bed. "Throat sore?" You nodded. "Yeah, it'll do that the first couple times." He chuckled and patted your leg. "Rest up, Kid. You should be fine tomorrow." And with that he stood and left, passing Taehyung in the doorway on the way out.

He rushed in and handed you a glass which you eagerly took. You sipped the cool liquid and sighed in relief as the pain eased from your throat. "Thank you." He smiled down at you and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it. I'm here to help." He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously, looking at the clock.

9:07 PM

"I can… Leave if you want… You should rest anyway." You reached for his hand, shaking your head frantically. He just chuckled with a nod and sat next to you. "It gets pretty lonely here, I know. Hopefully you won't have to be here much longer." You leaned your head on his shoulder and looked up at him as if questioning his words. "Namjoon has a personal vendetta against Savoy. He's all too happy to help out with the situation. Bastard sold us busted weapons last month." He scoffed and put his arm around you, leaning back against the wall.

"So what happens after I leave? If I leave?"

Tae eyed you carefully and shrugged. "Why wouldn't you leave? There's a whole world out there. You could travel, find a man, settle down, be happy…"

"I could be happy here too, you know." You mumbled, hoping he wouldn't hear you, but his arm tightening around your shoulders told you otherwise.

"What could possible make you happy here?" You looked up at him and shook your head with a sigh, leaning back into him and closing your eyes. You were all too happy to drop the subject and he didn't seem to fight you on that.

After all, you had to remind yourself that no matter how sweet and nervous Taehyung seemed, he was in a gang. He was dangerous. He probably killed people, dealt drugs, he'd told you himself that he'd been shot before.

So why did he make you feel so… Safe?


	4. Chapter 4

You blinked your eyes open and stretched. The bed was empty where Taehyung had been last night, and you just assumed he had gone to Jimin's room after you had fallen asleep. You stood to crack your back and check your side which all-in-all, looked pretty terrible. But as bad as the burn was going to scar, at least it hurt a lot less and you didn't have to worry about ripping your stitches anymore.

You poked your head out into the hall and looked around. You saw Jimin leave the bathroom with a towel around his waist and a toothbrush in his mouth. He raised one eyebrow at you and stood there as you quickly averted your gaze to the ground. "J-Jimin, uh… Do… You know where Taehyung went?" The boy nodded toward the kitchen, before heading back to his room.

You wandered down the hall, hugging your arms across your stomach tightly, until you heard laughter from the large room ahead. You stepped into the doorway and smiled at the 5 boys before you. Everyone was there except for Yoongi and Jimin. Jin was the first to notice you from behind the counter and smiled brightly at you. "Well, well, sleeping beauty finally woke up."

Taehyung's head whipped around and that box-like smile grew as he saw you. "We didn't wake you, did we?" You shook your head no and slowly made your way to the table to sit next to him. "Hows your side?"

You shrugged. "'S okay. When did you leave?"

"Well, he just joined us a minute ago." Namjoon raised his eyebrows at Taehyung. "I thought you were rooming with Jimin, V."

"He is." You all looked to the doorway to see Jimin rub his wet hair with the towel that had previously been around his waist. "He was in my room all night last night, right Tae?"

You and Taehyung shot each other a look before he nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I headed over to Jimin's room after I put (y/n) in bed."

Namjoon huffed, but next to him, Hobi grinned with a wink. They all watched as their boss stood and headed toward the door, mumbling something about going to his office before exiting the room. "Hungry, Princess?" You nodded back at Jin who stood by the stove cooking something that smelled delicious.

"So Tae, what-"

"You lied for me." Taehyung stated blandly, cutting off whatever Jungkook was about to say.

Jimin just shrugged. "I wouldn't have to it you weren't so careless."

"What do you-"

"Bro, she's wearing your shirt." Hoseok chuckled as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"It's not like that!" His face flushed as he pushed his eggs around on his plate. "Hers was bloody, so I gave her one of mine."

Jin quietly sat a plate down in front of you with a wink and you smiled at him in thanks. "So, you're not sleeping with our little princess then, figuratively that is?"

You choked on the bite of food you had just put into your mouth as Taehyung just gaped at him in shock. "N-no! Jin! Dude!" He just shrugged and went back to his cooking. "Besides, you know Namjoon doesn't want any of us dating."

You heard a deep chuckle from the doorway and looked up to see Yoongi walk in. Jin held up a plate which he took before sitting down in the seat Namjoon had just left from and shoveling his food into his mouth rather quickly. "Doesn't stop him. Besides, there's a reason for that." He stated solemnly between bites, his eyes never leaving you for a second.

"Yoongi!" Hoseok hissed. "This isn't the time. Besides, Namjoon is... Well, that's different." He kicked at his shoes under the table, averting his eyes from everyone left in the room.

"Right. Different."

You watched the two of them, thoroughly amused until you heard a voice in your ear. "Come with me. I want to show you something." You nodded and waited for Taehyung to deposit your plate in the sink before taking you by the hand and pulling you out of the kitchen.

"So, where are we going?" He had led you down a flight of steps to a part of the building you had never seen before and he just looked back at you with that big box-smile.

"My favorite place." He threw open a door, revealing what appeared to be a dusty, unused living room.

You scoffed and looked around. "It looks like no one has been in here in forever."

He shrugged and laid down on the couch, patting the spot next to his chest. "It's just me. I think everyone else forgot it existed. I found it one day while I was exploring and now I just come down here to be alone."

You sat next to where he laid and smiled down at him. "It's peaceful… quiet…" He just hummed and reached up to toy with the ends of your hair. "So, how did you get here? You seem relatively new…"

Taehyung nodded. "Namjoon saved my ass. I was some no one. Another homeless kid out on the street." He sighed and turned on to his back to look up at the ceiling. "Namjoon saw me one day and offered me a job. He offered me a place to stay and food to eat. How could I refuse?" He chuckled, though it sounded empty, hollow. "Now I'm stuck here. But it beats starving to death in downtown Seoul, right?"

You sighed through your nose and laid down next to him, resting your head on his chest. "I'm glad he found you." Taehyung raised an eyebrow and looked down at you curiously as you snuggled into him. "If he hadn't, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now."

He chuckled and rubbed small circles in your back, being careful of the burn. "I guess I should thank him then."

"I guess you should."

"Taehyung, (y/n), I have something very important I want to ask you." Namjoon clasped his hands together and leaned forward on the large wooden desk. "Hear me out. I want to call Savoy and-"

"No."

"Excuse me?" Namjoon looked at the boy on your right incredulously.

"Absolutely fucking not."

"Taehyung-"

"No, (y/n)! He will kill you! If he knows you're alive and he knows we have you, he will not hesitate to bust down our door to finish the job." Taehyung crossed his arms over his chest with a huff and averted his gaze from the both of you.

"Just listen to him Tae. Just hear him out." You put your hand on the boys knee and gave him a soft smile. When he didn't say anything, you nodded at Namjoon to continue.

"I want to call him and tell him we have you. Safe and sound. He'll want to do a trade. He comes here, we'll be waiting for him."

"Savoy's men easily outnumber ours five-to-one. They can take us."

"Not if we have the home advantage."

You had been living with these seven men for quite some time now and you had never seen anyone talk to Namjoon the way Taehyung was at this moment. "That plan is fucked and you know it, Namjoon."

"Taehyung-"

"Do you want to die, (y/n)? Do you? Because that is exactly what will happen if he calls Savoy." He glared at you, making you feel small. You opened your mouth to speak again, but this time it was Namjoon that cut you off.

"If you can't protect her, you don't deserve her." Taehyung shifted his glare to the older boy before you. "Why do you think Hoseok and I are still alive after all we've been through? We protect one-another. If there ever came a time that I couldn't protect him, then I wouldn't deserve him. I wouldn't deserve his friendship."

"Tae," You began again, this time actually finishing your thought. "I trust you. I trust all of you. I think you can take them." He scoffed, but you put a hand on his cheek. "Kim Taehyung, you will not run away. If you do, I will be gone forever. After all you've done for me. Don't let it be for nothing."

His eyes softened as they gazed into yours and he sighed in defeat. "Fine. Call them. But I want (y/n) as far from danger as humanly possible."

Namjoon nodded and stood. "Tae, go tell the others. I'll let you know when I have more information."

You took his hand in yours and squeezed it tightly, smiling at him for reassurance before leading him out of Namjoon's office.


	5. Chapter 5

"He's doing what?!" Yoongi's voice was one of pure rage and Jungkook put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "No, Kook, stop! What the fuck is he trying to do? He's gonna get her killed!"

"Getting angry about it won't solve anything." Jungkook pressed. "Besides you know he has to have a good plan to even think about risking this."

"Especially after the GD incident." Hoseok added softly.

Yoongi's eyes seemed to soften for a moment before an even angrier snarl appeared on his face. "Why do you think I'm so against this?" He asked through gritted teeth, his voice now at a much lower volume.

"He wants to ambush them." Taehyung scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. You rested your hand gently on his back and he sighed. "I know. I'm just scared, okay?"

Jimin chuckled as he leaned against the fridge. "Scared? We've got guns."

"So do they." Hoseok pursed his lips in thought. "But we'll have more ammo than them."

"They have more guys." Jungkook looked down with a nod.

"Yes, but what are they going to do?" Within an instant, Hoseok was back to his smiley self as though nothing had ever happened. "They can only bring as much ammo as they can carry. We have an entire storeroom full."

"All we have to do is make them waste their ammo." Jimin nodded in agreement. "Then we'll have them right where we want them."

"You're still missing the big picture." Taehyung sighed and dropped his arms to his sides in defeat. Hanging his head he added, "Savoy wants (y/n) and he's not going to stop until he gets what he wants."

"So, we'll hide her." Yoongi shrugged and sat back down in his chair, earning a happy look from the younger boy beside him.

"It's not that simple." You all looked up suddenly to see Namjoon in the doorway. "He wants to see her with his own eyes."

You looked to Taehyung with fear in your eyes which only made him angry. He opened his mouth, but Jin cut him off. "Princess, take V for a walk. He needs to cool off."

You quickly nodded and tugged on his hand so he would follow you. As he walked through the doorway, he rammed his shoulder into Namjoon's glaring at him. When you finally got away from the kitchen, you sighed. You pulled him into the bedroom you had been sharing behind Namjoon's back and locked the door behind you.

"Don't let it get to you, Tae." You leaned your forehead against the cold steel with a sad smile. "I'm not important enough for you to-"

"Stop." His voice wavered and you turned to look him in the eye. Tears streamed down his face and you quickly made your way to him, kneeling in front of where he sat on the bed. "Don't say that. Don't you ever say that. You are the most important person I have ever met."

"Taehyung…" Your words trailed off as you pressed small kisses to his hands. "I'll be okay. We'll both be okay."

"You can't promise that."

"I can and I am. We will both make it out of this." You gave him a reassuring smile and leaned into his chest, wrapping your arms around his waist. You felt the warmth of his strong arms encompass you and you breathed out.

In one swift motion, Taehyung had pulled you up and sat you gently on his lap. "As long as your making promises," He sniffed as you wiped at his tear-stained cheeks with your thumbs. "Promise me that, if given the chance, when this is over, you'll run as far away from here as you can. You'll run and never look back. I don't want you to be a part of this life. You deserve so much more…"

"That's the promise I can't make, Tae." You gave him a soft smile, but his eyebrows furrowed in worry and confusion. "That would mean leaving you and that I couldn't do."

He chuckled hollowly and looked down at your hand in his. "I told you before. I'm a nobody. Just someone Namjoon pulled off the street."

"You've said a lot of things that aren't true."

"Like?"

"Like last week. You told Namjoon you didn't have feelings for me and you just wanted to keep me safe because I'm a, 'good kid.'" You scoffed at the words and tilted his chin up so he would look at you.

"A-and?" Taehyung gulped, still trying to avert his gaze. "I do want to keep you safe. My feelings have nothing to do with it. Besides, you know Namjoon doesn't let us date."

When at last he looked at you, you only smiled. "Taehyung, since when do you listen to Namjoon?"

"He's my boss. I kind of have to." He rolled his eyes, causing you to giggle. "Besides, I've never had a girlfriend before, how would I even-"

Before either of you knew it, you had leaned forward. You lips ghosted over his softly. They were rough and dry, but still gentle and just as perfect as you had imagined they would be for so long. His eyes softened as they gazed into yours longingly, but just as quickly as the moment had happened, it passed. He stood up, placing you gently on the bed, and shook his head. "Taehyung, what-"

"Why would you do that?" He rubbed the back of his neck, furiously pacing in front of the bed. "Why? You know I can't!"

"Why are you getting so mad?" You looked up at him, your eyebrows furrowing with worry as he leaned in close to you.

"Because I won't be able to stop now." His words were nearly a whisper but they were terrifying. It was in this moment that you remembered where you were, who this boy in front of you was. A criminal. A gang member. He was dangerous. And you had just kissed him. You had been sharing a bed with him for weeks. But before you could even finish your train of thought, his lips pressed hard against your own. He planted a hand down on either side of you on the bed and leaned in, deepening the kiss, and you… You were fine with that.

You brought your hands up to tangle them in his dark hair and he leaned closer yet. Your tongues danced together blissfully and you were content to stay in that moment forever. Until you heard a soft clicking sound at the door.

Taehyung's head spun around to the door just as it flew open to reveal a proud looking Jimin holding a lock-picking kit. "Chim, Jesus." He stood upright and turned completely before pushing a hand through his hair. "What? What was so important that you had to pick my lock in stead of just knocking?"

The shorter boy shrugged with a grin. "I just wanted to practice. Also, Namjoon wants you in his office." You stood up, but Jimin cleared his throat. "Just Taehyung. You come with me."

Taehyung looked down at you with a smile, though his eyes told you he was afraid. He pressed his lips firmly to your forehead before nodding and ushering you out the door after Jimin. You gave him one final look before hurrying after the boy ahead of you.

"Jimin, where are we going?" You struggled to keep up with him as he made his way quickly through a series of halls. He didn't answer you, but in stead, he held open a door for you. You hurried inside and eyed him carefully as he closed it behind him.

The room was pitch black and you couldn't even make out Jimin's form in it. When at last the lights were flicked on, you stood, surrounded by the rest of the boys. "We're so sorry, (y/n)." Hoseok's normally bright and cheery smile was now sad and small. You were unsure of what was happening so you just stood there, hoping someone would explain.

"Savoy's coming. Tonight." Yoongi sighed through his nose and looked at the ground. "He wants to see you with his own eyes."

"But we can't let him know that you're one of us. It would fuck up the plan." Jungkook also looked at the ground, before flashing you an apologetic grin.

"So, what? What do you want me to do?" You looked around at them all, very confused, until Jin dropped a hand on your shoulder from behind you.

"They..." Yoongi averted his eyes, and for the second time that night, you saw a sadness you hadn't previously known him to have. "They have to rough you up. I'll wait outside in case Tae comes to try to stop us."

"But Namjoon's keeping him busy." Jungkook whined. "I wanna get this over with as quickly as possible."

Yoongi's eyes shot to him, but Hoseok spoke up first. "Jungkook, leave him alone. Let's just do this already." Your eyes darted to him as he flashed you a guilt-ridden look, before bouncing back to Yoongi's back just before the door clicked closed behind him.

You laid down on the bed in Taehyung's bedroom and hissed as you pressed an ice pack to your busted lip. It hurt, but you'd been through worse. None of them had held back, as much as they wanted to. They had to make it look like you were their prisoner, and they did a great job.

Hoseok had told you that Namjoon called Taehyung to explain exactly what was happening and you knew he would be furious. It was only a matter of time before he busted through the door to see your cuts and bruises. But he didn't. An hour had passed and there was still no sign of Taehyung.

You quietly made your way out of the room, convinced there was only one place he could possibly be. You found your way to a familiar flight of metal steps and lightly stepped down them before cracking open a door on your left. "Tae?"

"Don't. I don't want to see." He sat on the couch with his head in his hands, but you pushed the door open further and made your way in anyway.

"Taehyung, it's not that bad. When you found me, I had been shot and was bleeding to death, remember?" He looked up, his eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"Not that bad?" He grabbed your face with both hands and pulled you toward him. "Your lip is busted, your nose is broken, your eye is swollen shut…" He let go of your face and took your hand instead, peppering it with kisses. "I'm so sorry, (y/n). I should have stopped them, I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it Tae. I told them it was alright." You smiled down at him before making yourself comfy on his lap. "I'm perfectly fine."


	6. Chapter 6

Taehyung paced in front of the door to the HQ. It was the first time you had seen the outside of the building, and Namjoon had only permitted it when you told him you planned on staying, even after the ordeal had been dealt with, much to Taehyung's dismay. As much as he cared for you, he still wanted you to leave. And it was for exactly that reason, too. He thought you too good for the life he lived. He wanted you to go on and be happy, safe, out of harms way, even if that meant he couldn't have you. But you had made up your mind. These boys were your family and you loved Taehyung with all of your heart, so you were staying.

"That bastard should have been here by now!" Taehyung shouted. You only rolled your eyes, the tied gag in your mouth preventing you from talking. Your hands and ankles were bound with break-away rope so that you could run as soon as Namjoon gave you the signal.

You struggled for a bit before spitting the gag out. "Relax, Tae. He'll be here."

"Suddenly you're an expert on criminals?" He snapped. "He could have a sniper fixed on you right now!"

"Well, gee, Tae, I've only been living with-" Your words were cut short as Namjoon stuffed the gag back into your mouth just before a sleek, black car pulled into view. You glared at him, but he didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he just didn't care. He had more important matters to take care of.

A man stepped out of the car, just before three other cars pulled up and you knew he sad to be this Savoy guy. The man that wanted you dead. "James." Namjoon plastered on a fake smile as he stepped up to the man, giving him a very uncomfortable-looking hug.

"Namjoon." The man gave him a toothy grin, before his eyes shot to you. He took a step toward you, but Taehyung blocked his advance with a scowl. "So, you do have the little bitch." The man scoffed and turned back to Namjoon. "Looks like you've been having your fun with her, too."

You watched as Taehyung's back shook with what you thought was rage, until you heard him chuckle. "This slut's all worn out now. We've all had our fun with her."

You felt a pang of hurt, even though you knew he was putting on an act. You knew if this man suspected anything, he wouldn't hesitate to kill you all where you were.

"So, how much, Namjoon? What's your price?" Savoy put a hand to his chin quizzically as he raised an eyebrow. But in stead of answering, he nodded at Taehyung, who yanked you roughly to your feet from the ground.

You heard a deafening pop before a fire-like pain ran the whole way up your arm. It fell from Taehyung's grasp, more crooked than you ever thought was possible. You bit down on the gag as a scream was ripped from your throat. You weren't sure what was worse, this or the gunshot wound. Taehyung watched you with wide, sorrowful eyes as he knelt next to you. "(y/n)! Oh God, what have I done?"

Your tears blurred your vision as the door to HQ was thrown open and Jin came running toward you. He ripped the gag out of your mouth and picked you up in his arms. "V, can you manage to not break your girlfriend for five fucking minutes?!"

Taehyung looked at you, his eyes, full of pain, threatened to let tears fall over what he had done to you. "(y/n)…"

Savoy cleared his throat and everyone but you looked up to where he stood. "What the actual fuck is going on?!" The anger in his voice exploded just before a fist collided with his jaw.

"Take her inside, Jin! V, you stay here!" Namjoon sounded just as angry, if not more so than the man who now laid unconscious on the ground. You watched as the two of them drew guns from their waistbands and began to fire at the men who were now pouring out of the other cars.

You wanted to call out to Taehyung. You wanted to tell him to be careful. You wanted to tell him that it would all be okay. But you knew you couldn't. If you distracted him for even a moment, it could cost him his life.

Jin kicked through the door, rushing past everyone who was waiting, guns drawn. "What the fuck is happening out there?!" Hoseok's voice terrified you as he shouted, but Jin just kept going.

"V broke her arm, it was an accident, they need backup." With that, he rushed into his office, sat you down, and hurried back out, closing the door as he did so.

You pressed your ear to the cool metal and gasped as screams and gunfire filled the air. The tears streaming down your face would never stop, or so you were convinced. What was happening? Was everyone okay? Who was screaming? You heard footsteps run past the door and held your breath, so as not to give away where you were. You were sure that they would find you. You only had one choice.

When you were sure the footsteps were gone, you rushed from the room, turning through the many corridors until you reached the stairs. You flew down them and into the dusty living room as quietly as you could with a broken arm. You made yourself small and tucked yourself in the corner behind one large bookshelf, praying that you wouldn't even have to hide, but it was short lived. No sooner than you squatted down, the door creaked open and you could hear hushed whispers. As long as you could keep your breathing under control and no one turned the light on, you would be safe.

You heard squeaking like sneakers on linoleum from the hall before a loud voice crashed against your ears. "They're in here!" And suddenly, the room was ablaze with gunfire. There were flashes of light, a burning smell, more screaming, and then all at once, nothing. You felt a cold ball turn in the pit of your stomach as you peaked out from behind the bookshelf to see a man grinning down at you.

"Well, well, Gaeul." Savoy sneered, wiping a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth. You looked around to see Hoseok and Jungkook, had both been shot along with several men you didn't recognize. Tears sprung to your eyes as you stared at their lifeless bodies. Those boys were your friends. You loved them like family. But there they laid, blood pooled around them. "You may have had them fooled, but I can see right through you."

"My name is (y/n)! I'm (y/n)! Hobi… Ju-ungkook… Ta-e…" You broke into sobs, causing deep laughter from the man.

"You stupid, lying, little bitch." Savoy lifted his hand, gun pointed directly at your head.

"Do it. Go ahead. Without my friends I'm nothing anyway." You dropped your head and closed your eyes, ready to accept your fate. You heard the click of a gun cocking and then… Nothing.

You looked up to see Savoy, a clear expression of fear on his face. To your right, Hoseok and Jungkook sat clutching their bullet wounds with one hand, guns pointed in the other. To your right, Jin and Jimin stood smirking. "Don't be so quick to give up your life, Princess." The blonde winked at you.

"I promised to protect you, didn't I?" You peered around Savoy to find Taehyung, his expression soft, contradicting the gun he had pressed to the back of Savoy's head. A tear slid down your cheek as you gawked up at him. You stood and ran around the man and into Taehyung's side, causing you both to wince in pain. You stood slightly behind him, snuggling into him as best you could. "Go with Jin. I'll take care of this." You nodded and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek before taking a step in Jin's direction.

A gunshot rang out and Taehyung screamed, collapsing to the ground. Within an instant, Savoy had his gun pressed against his temple and you couldn't do anything but stare in shock and horror. "Drop your guns, or I'll drop him!" Savoy's voice was livid. You had never heard so much rage in one person before.

Jungkook and Hoseok hesitated before resting the guns on the ground and sliding them away from themselves. You backed up, running into Jimin's chest and he rested a hand on your shoulder. You looked up at him and then to everyone else. All eyes were on Savoy, but yours found their way to the gun in Jimin's waistband. Reaching back with your good arm, you tugged it away from him, his eyes never for a moment leaving the man in front of him.

"Now, I'm gonna take this little skank with me and I won't hesitate to put anyone down who stands in my way!"

"There's just one problem." Your voice shook as you held the gun out in front of you. As soon as Savoy's head turned in your direction, you pulled the trigger. He clutched his shoulder with a scream as he fell back. You stepped up to him feeling more confident and glared. "I'm not leaving Taehyung." You pulled the trigger again, and this time it hit him in the leg.

He screamed again and groaned in pain. "Who taught you how to shoot?!"

"No one." You gave him a breathy laugh and pressed the gun against his chest. "This is the first time I've ever even held a gun." With that you pulled the trigger. You squeezed your eyes shut and pulled it again. And again. And again. And again. You kept pulling it well after the clip was empty. Tears fell and Taehyung pried the gun out of your hand, pulling you close to him. He petted your hair and shushed you softly to calm you. You buried your face in his shoulder and wiped at your eyes with the back of your good hand.

You heard footsteps and everyone looked up to see Namjoon and Yoongi sprint into the room. Their eyes scanned the bodies and rested on those of Hoseok and Jungkook. "Hobi!" Namjoon hurried to him and knelt down, Yoongi following suit with Jungkook.

"Shoulder!" Yoongi shouted, looking to Jin.

"Abdomen!" Namjoon cried, lifting the boy into his arms, causing him to groan.

Jin's eyes widened as he hurried out of the room and up the stairs, Namjoon rushing out behind him, carrying Hoseok. "I-is that really bad?" You looked up at Taehyung who just smiled.

"He'll be fine. Jin's good at what he does."

Yoongi rushed past you with Jungkook in his arms, but stopped in the doorway. "Jimin, you know you're gonna have to carry him, right?"

Jimin groaned before trudging forward, taking his gun, shoving it back in his waistband, and in one motions he scooped up Taehyung and balanced him over his shoulder.

"Jimin!" Taehyung protested, causing you to giggle. He crossed his arms and you followed them out the door and back up the stairs toward Jin's office.

You sat next to Taehyung on Jin's metal table and leaned against his shoulder. He squeezed your hand tightly and hissed as Jin pulled a pair of bloodied tweezers out of his leg, grasping a chunk of metal with the ends. He nodded with content before threading a needle and stitching the hole closed.

Then it was your turn. Jin sighed at you and grabbed either end of your broken arm, causing you to whimper in pain. "You thought getting shot was bad. I'm gonna have to set your arm." Taehyung refused to look you in the face, knowing all too well that this was his doing. You squeezed his hand but he still wouldn't look at you.

In one motion, Jin snapped your arm. A scream bubbled up your throat and Taehyung's eyes finally shot to yours. The pain was unbearable, but you were glad he was finally looking at you. You nodded to tell him it was alright, but as soon as you did, he dropped his eyes again. You felt something cool smooth over your skin and looked to see Jin fitting your arm in a plaster mold.

"You're gonna have to sit here for about half an hour while this dries." You nodded and turned to see Taehyung stand unsteadily and reach for a pair of crutches against the wall.

"Tae?" He didn't say anything. "Taehyung." Still nothing. Instead, you just listened to the click of the crutches and he made his way out of the room.

Jin must have seen the tears in your eyes because he shook his head. "He'll be fine. It's not everyday you accidentally break your girlfriend's arm and get yourself and two of your best friend's shot."

You nodded and watched as Jin completed the cast and told you to sit still for half an hour. He told you he would be back to check on you. He told you that everything would be fine now.


	7. Chapter 7

You stuffed your fingers under the itchy plaster in an attempt to scratch your arm, but to no avail. You cracked open the metal door before you and peered into the bedroom to see Taehyung sitting on the bed. Pushing the door open further, you made your way inside and sat next to him. "Taehyung, you have to talk to me eventually." He reached for his crutches, but you were faster. You picked them up in your good hand and walked across the room, depositing them by the door before making your way back to the bed.

"Give them back." His voice was so cold it caused you to flinch. Even so, you held your ground and raised a hand to his cheek.

"Tae, what's going on?" You pleaded, trying your best to get him to look you in the face. "You won't look at me, you won't talk to me, what is going on with you?"

"I said, give them back." He kept his face to the ground, but you were adamant. You knew he was acting strangely and you were going to get to the bottom of it.

"You want them back so badly?" You plopped down next to him and rested your casted arm in your lap. "Then start talking. We've got all night. I don't plan on sleeping alone."

Taehyung scoffed from beside you and turned his head away from you even more. "You want to know? Fine." His head finally swung around and you noticed his bloodshot eyes. "I fucked up. I hurt you. The only person I've ever really cared about and I broke her fucking arm. It the middle of a plan no less!" He pushed a hand through his unruly hair and shook his head hard. "I'm the reason your arm is broken. I'm the reason Kook and J-Hope got shot. I'm the reason Namjoon is probably fuming right now as we speak."

You rested your hand on his shoulder with a soft expression. You had never seen him so upset. "Tae, it's-"

"And you." He cut you off, glaring at you. His stare seemed to bore into your soul and it scared you more than you cared to admit at that particular moment. "You killed a man. A dangerous man. A well known man." You gulped as you stared up into his eyes as they softened under your gaze. "You can never leave now. People will be after you. I just wanted you to be safe…" His words trailed off as he pressed his forehead to your trembling one.

"Taehyung, even if none of this had happened, even if the plan went well, even if I was safe…" You smiled at him, stroking his soft cheek. "I couldn't have left. I wouldn't have left. Taehyung, I-"

You both heard a soft knock on the door and looked up as Kook cracked it open. "Namjoon wants you both in his office." You stood quickly and rushed to him, grinning ear-to-ear. Holding up your full arm cast, you motioned to his and he did the same, an equally large grin appearing. "Twinsies." He whispered to you before glancing back at Taehyung and leaving promptly.

You grabbed the crutches from the floor and helped Taehyung stand before you both made your way to the office you had become so familiar with lately. You pushed open the large door and helped him sit before taking your own seat. You were sure Namjoon would be mad at Taehyung, but as you looked up at him, you noticed he was… Smirking?

"Well, it doesn't look like I had to worry about your relationship after all." You cocked your head and looked to Taehyung who looked equally confused. "Although, I thought you would need to protect her, not the other way around." Namjoon laughed out loud to himself and Taehyung's face fell. You reached to take hold of his hand, but he yanked it harshly from your grasp.

"It's not funny, Namjoon. Can't you just yell at me and get it over with?" He sighed and crossed his arms over his chest as the boy before us finally stopped laughing.

"For what? Hoseok is fine, Kook is fine, everyone's perfect, save for a couple bumps and bruises." Namjoon shrugged and leaned back in his chair before turning away from us. "I just wanted you to know that I'm permitting your relationship."

"Don't."

You and Namjoon both looked at Taehyung with incredulous expressions. Yours was quickly replaced by one of hurt and sadness. "Taehyung, what are you-"

"There is no relationship." His words burned like poison and made your head spin as they hit you. He stood unsteadily before making his way out of the room and you just sat there, dumbfounded.

Namjoon watched you for several moments before clearing his throat. "He'll be fine. Probably just needs some space." He leaned back and nodded toward the door. "Send Hobi in, will you?"

Nodding, you silently stood and made your way to the one room in the house you had never been to. The room shared by Hoseok and Namjoon. You knocked before pushing open the large door. Before you, Hoseok laid on the large bed. He smiled when he saw you, but his face quickly fell. "(y/n), are you okay?"

That's all it took. The tears sprung from your eyes and you couldn't stop them. Hoseok reached his arms out to you and you fell forward into them. You laid there on the bed with him, violent sobs wracking your body. He shushed you and petted your hair, but let you cry.

The door flew open and Namjoon stood in the doorway. He rolled his eyes when he saw you and made his way to the bed, sitting down on the end of it and patting your leg. Much to your surprise, he didn't say anything. He just let you lay there and cry. Within a moment, several more faces came into view and you looked to the open door to see Jimin, Jungkook, and Yoongi. They all looked at Namjoon, then to you with very concerned expressions on their faces. One by one they made their way in. Jungkook laid behind you on the bed and wrapped his good arm around your waist, Yoongi sat next to Namjoon, his worry-filled eyes never leaving for face for a second, and Jimin knelt nearby with a heavy sigh.

"No one else got hurt, did they?"

Jin stood with his arms crossed in the door way and Namjoon shook his head. "Not in a way that you can fix, buddy."

Jin made his way into the room and sat behind Jungkook, rubbing your back slowly. No one said another word and eventually, your sobs died down. They became silent tears that slipped down your cheeks as you snuggled into Hoseok and Jungkook.

"Jimin." Namjoon stood suddenly, motioning for the younger boy to follow him. "Go get him. Bring him to my office. I'll set him straight."

You sat up slowly, embarrassment filling you. The four boys looked at you with understanding and compassion as you wiped at your face. "I'm sorry, everyone." Your voice was barely a whisper and and Hoseok just pulled you back into him.

"Everything is going to be fine." He assured you. Jungkook sat up and moved next to Yoongi. You were sure they were the only two who didn't know what was happening, but that changed when they both heard a buzz. Yoongi pulled his phone out and they both looked at it, before looking at each other.

The stood quickly and Yoongi held a hand out to you. "Boss wants you." You took his hand and he pulled you up, leading you away from the bedroom and back down the hall. His hand gripped yours as if he was afraid he would lose you.

"Suga," Hoseok called from the doorway, causing Yoongi to hesitate. "Watch yourself. It's not her." You heard a low grunt as he dropped your hand. The sadness in his eyes seemed to radiate throughout him, but you knew he would never tell his secrets.

You all stood in front of the large metal door, not making a sound. From within you heard shouting, clearly being down by Namjoon, though you could only make out bits and pieces of it. "… Cares about you… Never hurt her… And Hobi…" You couldn't take anymore. You pushed the metal door open with your good hand and stood there in the doorway with Yoongi and Jungkook behind you. "-and cried. And do you know who the only one not there was? You!" Namjoon finally looked up at you and pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "Finally." He stood and grabbed Taehyung's crutches, heading toward the door. He pulled out a key and gave you a soft push toward the chair before reaching for the door handle. "Work it out." With that, he pulled the door closed and you heard the lock click from the outside. And then you were alone.


	8. Chapter 8

You looked down at your lap as your fingers mindlessly picked at a loose piece of plaster. You have both been sitting there for nearly half an hour, but neither of you had said a word. It was getting late and you were very tired. You yawned and instinctively brought a hand up to your mouth, wincing in pain before switching hands.

You heard a pained sigh and you looked up to see Taehyung watching you with a sorrowful expression. "You're already fraying the end of your cast. Jin's gonna kill you." You shrugged your shoulders and looked back down. A hand reached out to tilt your chin up. "I'm serious, do you remember how mad he was when you ripped your stitches?"

"Does it really matter? Why would you care?" You pulled your head from his hand and he looked down, causing him to sigh heavily.

He dropped his head into his hands and rubbed his face. "Jagi-"

"Don't. Don't call me that." You stood and walked to the opposite end of the room, facing the wall. "You already said there's no relationship here. You said that. Not me. S-so don't act l-like you can j-just, 'Jagi' me a-and fix everything." You stuttered your words out of frustration and rested your good hand and your forehead against the cool wall.

"Jagiya…" You felt a warm hand press against your back and you turned to see Taehyung standing on one leg and wobbling a bit. He pulled you against him and held you tighter than you ever thought possible. You looked up at him in awe as he quickly covered your lips with his.

You were so confused. Taehyung was your home. He comforted you. He made you feel safe. But he had hurt you and you weren't sure how to react. Being sure you supported him while he stood, you pulled away and shook your head. "No. No, you hurt me. You can't kiss me and expect me to ignore what you said."

"(y/n), I'm sorry. I was just… I didn't mean… I…" Taehyung dropped his head and hobbled backward toward Namjoon's desk.

"You didn't mean what?" You snapped, more out of pain than anger. "To break my heart? To make me feel like I didn't belong? To make me think I was going to have to spend the rest of my life alone?"

"You'll never be alone!" He shouted, but you still didn't look at him. "You have us! All of us. We're a family here, and you're one of us now."

"I didn't want, 'family' Tae." You sighed and made your way to the door, knocking on it and waiting for Namjoon to open it before adding, "I just wanted you." This time it was your turn to leave. You headed down the hall to the bedroom where you were dreading spending the night alone for the first time in over a month.

Your eyes fluttered open as you heard the bedroom door click closed behind you. You sat up and turned, peering through the darkness. "Taehyung?"

"Please let me explain." His voice was so full of pain it made your heart hurt. You wanted to be angry with him, but you knew you couldn't do that forever.

You turned down the blanket next to you and patted the bed. "I'm tired, Tae. Just come to bed. You can explain tomorrow." You heard the familiar clicking of crutches as he came into view. He was a wreck. You could tell he had been crying and you wondered just how late it actually was and how long you had been asleep.

He sat on the bed and tossed the crutches on the floor. "Jagi, I…"

"I know, Tae." You pulled him in against you and inhaled his scent, as you had done on many different occasions for comfort. "I'm sorry, too."

You laid back down and rested you head on his chest, intertwining your fingers. He hummed softly and you smiled against the vibrations in his chest. You knew it wasn't over. He would still have to explain, he would still have to properly apologize, but for now you had him back. For now everything was fine. For now, you could rest.

You stretched and sat up, looking around. There was no sign of Taehyung and you began to wonder if it had all just been a dream. You stood up and pulled on a pair of his shorts before making your way to the kitchen. As you stepped in the door and looked around, you realized the room was completely empty. You furrowed your eyebrows. The kitchen was never empty. There was always someone there. Normally it was Jin, but this morning, not even he was there.

You turned on your heels and started down the hall. You walked along quietly listening for any sounds, but heard none. Making your way down the steps, you turned and opened the door, peering into the dark living room. Still nothing. They wouldn't all go out somewhere and eave you all alone, would they?

That's when you heard voices. You turned down the hall, further than you had ever gone in this particular part of the building and stopped just outside of another door. You pressed your ear to the metal and listened to the voices inside. "She's not gonna like this and you know it, V." You heard Hoseok sigh.

"Guys, we have to do something." Jungkook whined.

"Okay, but why is it a secret?" Yoongi questioned.

"It's not anymore." The door flew open and you stood there, dumbfounded. You stared at all of them with a blank expression.

"I mean it is, I just know that there is, in fact, a secret." You scoffed and made your way into the room, leaning on Taehyung's good leg. He wrapped an arm around your waist and everyone watched you quizzically.

"So," Jimin began, crossing his arms over his chest. "The happy couple is…?"

"Oh, someone still has some explaining to do." You looked down at Taehyung who dropped his head with a nod, but you just smiled and pushed against him. "So, what's this secret?"

Everyone looked at each other and one by one began making excuses to leave. Taehyung was the only one left and you kicked his crutches away from him. "Are you going to keep doing that?" He huffed, retracting his arm with a pout.

"Depends." You shrugged with a small smile. "Are you going to keep hiding things from me?"

He pulled you down into his lap and sighed. "I guess you wanna talk, huh?" You nodded and looked around at what was obviously a store room. "Bedroom?" You nodded again and stood, handing him his crutches. You had to help him up the stairs but you eventually made your way back to your shared bedroom and locked the door behind you.

"Now, Kim Taehyung, I am awake and ready to hear your explanation." You plopped down on the bed next to him and he took your hand, pressing his lips against it.

"I'm an idiot?"

"No shit." You scoffed and rolled your eyes, leaning into him.

He wrapped an arm around you and nodded. "I was scared. I thought I was going to lose you. I thought it would be easier on my own terms, but I realized something." His eyes locked onto yours and he gave you a soft smile. "I can lie to myself all I want, but I could never stop caring about you." He rested his hand on your cheek and gave you a peck on the lips. "(y/n), I…"

"Tae, I swear. If you don't finish that sentence, you're going to have a lot more to worry about that a bullet hole in your leg." You pouted, causing him to laugh and kiss your bottom lip.

"I love you."

"That's all I wanted." You leaned up and pressed your lips firmly against his with a sigh.

Taehyung pulled back and glared at you, causing you to laugh. "I'm waiting."

"For?" Your teasing tone told him you were joking, but he turned away from you.

"I took the risk of telling my girlfriend I loved her, and this is what I got."

You pulled him toward you and rolled your eyes. "Shut up, you dork." You pressed your lips to his again and laughed. "I love you too."

"Get a room!" You glared at the door and stood, flinging it open.

"We're IN our room! Jeon Jungkook, I swear!" All the boys stood smirking down at you and you opened the door wider, shaking your head. "You all can give him that look, not me." You pushed past them and made your way toward the kitchen, snickering at the protests from Taehyung behind you.

You sat in the kitchen, chopstick in hand and shoved the piece of wood underneath the plaster in an attempt to dull the itch. "(y/n), what do you think you're doing?" You groaned as Jin wandered in. "We eat with those."

"But it's so itchy!" You whined and he just laughed as he dug through the cabinets for something to eat. "So, what's the secret you were all discussing?"

"You have no clue? Really?" You shook your head and Jin scoffed. "Do you even know what today is?" You shrugged, toying with the chopstick in your hands, accidentally flinging it at the wall. It fell to the ground and rolled under the stove and you ducked your head. "Nice. Great job."

You heard soft clicking from the doorway and turned to grin at the boy who entered. "I bet you think that was really funny don't you?" Taehyung narrowed his eyes, plopping down next to you.

"Well, it was one of the better moments of today." You grinned and leaned forward to peck him on the cheek.

"I eat in here!" Jin whined from behind the counter. You giggled and leaned back before Jin cleared his throat. "So, V, your girlfriend has no clue what today is."

Taehyung raised an eyebrow and turned his head to you, but you just shrugged. "I don't go anywhere or do anything, so why do I need to know what day it is?"

He smirked and shook his head. "Well, we should probably get you a calendar." You stuck your tongue out and stood, heading to where Jin was with his food. He blew on a bite to cool it down before holding it out to you. You took the bite and hummed with pleasure.

"Jin what is this?" You immediately reached for another bite which he happily gave you. "It's better than sex!"

Jin chuckled and his eyes shot to Taehyung. "You must be doing something wrong. This is just samgyeopsal."

Taehyung's eyes widened. "But we've never-" You laughed as you watched him flail with embarrassment.

"Don't worry, Jagi." You winked at Taehyung as you made your way back to him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "You won't be a virgin forever." You watched him with a giggle as he sat there, flustered, unable to so much as talk.

"A virgin?" Jungkook walked in and shook his head. "Dude, you're the only one of us that actually has a girlfriend. That is pathetic."

"Oh shut up." Taehyung crossed his arms over his chest and turned his head. "Like you're not."

"Tae, I lost my V-card at the age of 14." He snickered. "Jin?"

"13." The older boy nodded as he held out a bite of food for Jungkook.

"(y/n)?"

You bit your lip and looked down, picking at the loose plaster again. "Actually, I'm in the same boat as Tae."

"Well, that's gonna be a mighty fine mess." Jungkook managed through the bite of pork in his mouth.

"What is?" Hoseok limped into the room and eyed all of you before sitting down in the closest chair to him.

"The virgins." Jungkook snickered as he nodded his head at the two of you. "It's gonna be a disaster when they decide to-"

"Not gonna happen." Hoseok shook his head and turned his nose to the air. "(y/n) is a good girl. She wouldn't do something like that."

You looked at him with an amused expression. "Well, I'm sure eventually-"

"Nope." He was impertinent, and that only made you want to defy him.

"Tae, I'm feeling a little tired." You kept your eyes on Hobi who peeked up at you when you spoke. "Let's go lay down."

An annoyed grunt from the hallway caught everyone's attention. Yoongi stood in the doorway, his eyes peering down at you. "Leaving so soon?" Your face flushed and the smallest of triumphant smiles made its way to Hoseok's face.

"U-uh-" You stuttered, "We- we were just-"

His face suddenly grew angry as he took a few steps closer. "I heard the whole thing. Don't you lie to me again." His nostrils flared as he leaned in toward your face. "You were just going to take that boy and-"

In an instant Hoseok was on his feet with a grimace of pain and a grip on Yoongi's shoulder. "Suga. Not her. Not here." The older boy looked back at him for a moment before returning his eyes to you, his expression softening instantly.

Yoongi took a few steps back, his eyes now locked to the ground. "I'm... sorry." Was all he managed.

You stood, taken aback for a moment before your eyebrows drew together in anger of your own. "You don't decide our lives. I don't know what the hell that was all about but I don't scare easily. Try your anger-schtick on someone else. Let's go, Tae."

Taehyung's face flushed and behind you, Jin dropped his chopsticks and Jungkook choked on his food. You helped him stand and steadied him on his crutches before you both made your way out of the kitchen and down the hall to your bedroom.

You locked the door behind you and followed him to the bed. "(y/n), we don't have to-"

"I want to." You smiled, brushing your lips against his. "Not just because of Hobi, or Yoongi, or what Jungkook said." You cupped your hand to his cheek and smiled. "It's because I love you. I want to make you happy."

"You do. You already do so much for me."

"Let me do this, too."

Taehyung sighed and smiled with a nod before leaning forward and roughly crashing his lips against yours.

You pressed the button on Taehyung's phone and looked at the time. 6:42 PM. You peppered his face with kisses and smiled down at him softy. "Jagi?" He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pulled you back down into the bed with him. "What time is it?"

"6:42. We must have fallen asleep." You giggled and pressed your lips to his.

He sat straight up and silently cursed at himself. "Can I see my phone?" You handed it to him and he immediately started going through his text messages. He had quite a few from Namjoon, the last one being from about ten minutes ago saying that everything was ready. He struggled to throw the covers off of you both and made his way to the dresser, holding himself up with the wall. He tossed you a pair of his shorts and a t-shirt before getting dressed himself.

"Tae? What's going on?" You quickly got dressed and he reached for his crutches.

"The secret."

You both made your way down the hall to another section of the building you hadn't been to yet. Taehyung stopped outside a door and smiled at you before pressing his lips to your forehead. You gave him a wary look before turning and cracking open the door. You immediately smelled flowers and opened the door wider to reveal a small garden. You assumed this had to be the back entrance and looked around in awe. Suddenly all six boys stood before you as Taehyung rested his hand on your back.

The boys all grinned and Jin held up a beautiful cake. "Happy birthday, Jagiya." Taehyung whispered in your ear. Tears sprung to your eyes as you looked at everyone in front of you and then to the boy behind you, your mouth slightly agape.

"It's my birthday?"

"I told you we should get you a calendar." He chuckled and you took a step toward the others, who one-by-one, brought you in for a hug and wished you a happy birthday.

Jungkook made his way to Taehyung and clapped him on the back. "So was it as bad as I think it was?"

"Was what bad?" Namjoon raised an eyebrow and your face flushed. Hoseok leaned against him and pursed his lips before whispering something in his ear. His eyes went wide before he broke out in laughter. "I didn't know you were a virgin!"

"I-I'm not!" Taehyung looked at the ground and rubbed the back of his neck and Jin laughed.

"Yeah, not anymore." He sat the cake down and cut into it as Jimin burst out laughing. Yoongi, however, froze, going completely rigid and eyeing both you and Taehyung.

"Shut up." You rolled your eyes at them as you made your way back to Taehyung. "Don't listen to them. They're just mad because the only people having sex around here is us."

"Not just us." Taehyung rolled his eyes as you both looked to where Hoseok and Namjoon stood, talking quietly and laughing amongst themselves.

You all stayed in the garden for hours talking and laughing and eating the cake Jimin had baked. You finally all went in and said goodnight before heading to your separate rooms.

You laid down next to Taehyung and snuggled into his side. "Thank you, Tae." You smiled with a sigh as he kissed your forehead and wrapped his arm around you. "I mean it. For everything."

"Jagi, you don't have to thank me." He chuckled as he held you close, the sound humming in your ear as it rested on his chest. "Besides, I have so much to be thankful to you for, too." You peered at him through the dark and all you could see what that big box-smile you loved so much. The one you swore you would want to stare at forever. He was beautiful in every sense of the word and if this is what you had to expect from a dangerous criminal, you were sure you could get used to it.

"Tae, what will life be like now?" He looked at you quizzically and you sighed. "I just mean… Up until now you've all been trying to think up a plan to keep me safe from Savoy. Now it's done. He's dead. Things will change, won't they?"

He shrugged and put his free arm behind his head. "I guess so, yeah. Once your arm is healed, we'll probably have to train you a bit, but I guess you'll start coming on trades and stuff." You nervously traced lines in his stomach under his shirt.

"Are there girls in other gangs?" You rolled your bottom lip between your teeth and looked up at him.

"Not that I remember." He shrugged with a yawn and rubbed your arm.

"You don't think the other gangs will…"

Taehyung just chuckled and shook his head before pressing his lips to your forehead. "We'll protect you if we have to. Don't worry, Jagi. I'll always be right beside you."


End file.
